Method of providing a signaling qualification function in a connection oriented network

Abstract

A method of providing a qualification function and associated action function to be performed for a connection request or a group of connection requests. The invention is applicable to situations wherein it is desirable for the network to perform a specific action before, during and/or after the establishment of a connection. The network is provided a mechanism whereby specific connection requests trigger the performance of one or more action functions. The network is operative to qualify connection requests wherein one or more action functions associated with those connection request(s) are triggered in response thereto. The qualifier, upon a connection meeting the criteria, passes a trigger to the specific action function that performs the desired specific action. More than one action may be specified, each action functioning to resolve an existing problem or perform a desired action. In addition, an information element can be included with the connection message indicating to the next hop network element along a connection path whether a particular action was preformed on the previous hop network element.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method of providing a signaling qualification function for connection requests in a connection oriented network, said method comprising the steps of: 
       configuring a network element with a qualification database comprising one or more qualification functions;  
       configuring the network element with an action database comprising one or more action functions;  
       comprising said qualification functions in said qualification database against the contents of a call connection request message, each positive comparison generating a match;  
       performing an action associated with the qualification function corresponding to each match generated; and  
       providing an information element to be included with said connection request message sent to a next hog network element, said information element providing an indication of whether a particular action was performed for that particular connection.  
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said step of comparing comprises scanning each qualification function against qualification information associated with one or more information elements making up said connection request message. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said qualification function comprises an information element ID, a byte offset and a byte size of the information element information. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said qualification function comprises a qualification reference and a qualification operator. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said qualification function comprises a pointer to an action. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said qualification function comprises an action ID. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said qualification function comprises a priority indication. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said qualification function comprises a multilevel priority indication. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said step of configuring the network element with a qualification database is performed by a network manager via a network management station via a MIB using the SNMP protocol. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said step of configuring the network element with an action database is performed by a network manager via a network management station via a MIB using the SNMP protocol. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said qualification function comprises a previous hop network element action ID. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of performing an ordered set of actions whereby the same qualification function triggers different actions on different network elements along the call path, wherein a network element performs its assigned action only if a previous hop network element indicates that its assigned action was performed. 
     
     
       13. An apparatus for providing a signal qualification function for connection requests in a connection oriented switch, comprising: 
       a qualification database comprising one or more qualification functions;  
       an action database comprising one or more action functions;  
       a qualification function unit adapted to compare said qualification functions in said qualification database against the contents of a call connection request message, each positive comparison generating a match;  
       an action function unit adapted to perform an action associated with the qualification function corresponding to each match generated; and  
       means for providing an information element to be included with said connection request message sent to a next hop network element, said information element providing an indication of whether a particular action was performed for that particular connection.  
     
     
       14. A network switch for use in a connection oriented network, comprising: 
       an adaptation unit adapted to interface said switch to one or more physical connections;  
       a signaling unit for providing signaling functions between said switch and the rest of the network;  
       a qualification function unit comprising a qualification database for storing one or more qualification functions, said qualification function unit adapted to compare said qualification functions in said qualification database against the contents of a call connection request message, each positive comparison generating a match;  
       an action function unit comprising an action database for storing one or more action functions, said action function unit adapted to perform an action associated with the qualification function corresponding to each match generated;  
       a connection control unit adapted to provide services for the establishment and termination of calls; and  
       means for providing an information element to be included with said connection request message sent to a next hop network element, said information element providing an indication of whether a particular action was performed for that particular connection.  
     
     
       15. The network switch according to  claim 14 , wherein the contents of said qualification database and said action database are provided by a network management station. 
     
     
       16. The network switch according to  claim 14 , wherein said action function unit comprises a priority processor adapted to analyze actions and their associated priorities input thereto and to determine an appropriate order in which actions are to be executed. 
     
     
       17. The network switch according to  claim 14 , further comprising means for performing an ordered set of actions whereby the same qualification function triggers different actions on different network elements along the call path, wherein a network switch performs its assigned action only if a previous hop network element indicates that its assigned action was performed. 
     
     
       18. The network switch according to  claim 14 , wherein said qualification function unit comprises means for detecting specific information within an information element and to forward an indication to said action function unit in response thereto.